Do you consider yourself a bargain shopper?
Or maybe you aspire to be one.
Long before our family size exceeded the American average, I was always looking for bargains as I desired to steward our family’s resources well.
About 10 years ago; out of curiosity and the raving of a friend, I tried my hand at buying (and eventually selling) on Ebay.
I was amazed at the deals I found!
Clothes in excellent condition for our children, a brand new HP printer that we owned for 8 years, a DSLR camera, flat screen tv, homeschool curriculum & eventually the MacBook Pro that is creation central for all my writing!
Over the years, as I’ve shared the news of my fantastic finds with others; I’ve been met with the statements that buying on Ebay seemed unsafe or individuals shared their unpleasant experiences.
So I’d like to offer 5 tips for shopping on eBay.
1. Do your research.
Be aware of the retail cost of the item you’re looking to purchase.
I generally am looking to pay 50% or less of the retail value for a used item.
But I’ve seen used items sell for more than what they cost brand new!
2. Check out seller’s feedback.
See what other buyers have to say about their transaction with the individual youOre considering making a purchase from.
My personal preference is to choose a seller whose rating is 96% or better.
3. Use PayPal.
PayPal offers buyer protection for purchases made on eBay.
So if you don’t receive what you paid for or the item you receive is significantly different than what was pictured or described, PayPal will help resolve the issue.
4. Ask questions.
Sometimes details are unintentionally left out. So if you have a question about an item that you’d like to purchase, be sure to ask the seller before you place a bid.
Once a bid is placed you are responsible for paying for it unless someone outbids you.
5. Insist on seeing a photo of the actual item.
I’ve seen stock photos used for eBay listings and I often scroll right by them!
If the listing details catch my attention then I might contact the seller and request to see a photo of the actual item.
Now that you’re armed with these tips, I’m sure you’re ready to effectively navigate eBay and find bargains to write home about!
If you’ve already conquered eBay, what’s type of items do you like to shop for? Or what’s the most amazing deal you’ve found?
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